The CPT is also interested in the following type of information on any place where persons are deprived of their liberty by a public authority :

holding areas in military barracks

juvenile detention centres

psychiatric establishments
The CPT has even extended its sphere of action to cover old people’s homes.

Inquiries and legal proceedings

• role of the justice system : foot-dragging by public prosecutor’s departments (cases filed, etc.)
• role of the prison authorities : inquiries, legal proceedings and administrative penalties
• thorough examination of all complaints or allegations of abuse
• use of documents in case files referring to allegations of abuse

Basic guarantees against ill-treatment

• informing persons in detention or custody of their rights : inadequacies, especially where foreign nationals are concerned
• presence of a lawyer from the outset
• role of doctors (detailed medical certificates, access of the persons concerned and their lawyers to the medical file)
• staff training : professional code of ethics, code of conduct governing questioning
• checks on detention conditions : visits to detention facilities by public prosecutor’s departments : inadequacies